Auto engines remain one of the most fascinating inventions created by human beings. In simple terms, the purpose o f an engine is to convert gasoline or diesel into forward motion so you can get from one place to another. The cars and trucks that run on gasoline today are referred to as ‘internal combustion engines’. This process takes place inside the engine and is what creates the energy needed for motion. There are two types of auto engines in use today, the diesel engine and the gasoline engine.

Both are internally combusted. However, there is such a thing as an external combustion engine. The old steam engines we learned about as kids are such machines. The fuel (wood or coal) burn outside the engine and creates steam which in turn creates motion inside the motor.

Why internal over external combustion?? Internal is more efficient and are usually a lot smaller than there larger, external, counterparts. The term ICE (internal combustion engine) refers to an engine where the combustion fuel is intermittent like the four-stroke and two-stroke engines commonly associated with motorcycles, dirt bikes and auto engines. Some engines area actually continuous combustion engines and can be found in jet engines and rockets. There are numerous designs for the internal combustion engine and have a variety of weaknesses and strengths. One of the reasons why ICE’s remain so popular is due to their weight to power ratio.

That’s why we see them so widely used in nearly every avenue from auto engines, boats and aircraft no matter big or small. Engines are classified by the engine cycle used, layout of the engine, source of the energy, use of the engine and by the cooling system used. Many fields, like auto racing have taken these basic ideas of internal combustion engines and taken their application to the next step. By understanding the engine and the way it works auto engines have been made to exceed previous limits for speed and power.

There are many working and moving parts in a typical engine. It is important to know what you are touching when messing with an engine. The wrong move can result in catastrophic engine failure aka the auto engines will blow up. Many mechanics and machine shops specialize in the customization and alteration of auto engines. These people have a deep understanding of the way an engine works and understand what needs to be done to ensure an engine is operating at its peak level of performance.